Category Archives: infrastructure

Neutrality 2015

(what follows is an email I just sent to my tenants. In theory I should send this every year; in practice I forget to email most years, but at least I typically remember to buy the offsets.) Hello! This is … Continue reading

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Dragonfly

These photos are framed so it looks like the paddies go on for ever. In reality this is just a little zone of rice fields surrounded on all sides by tourist businesses. I’m not sure if there are other areas … Continue reading

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Brandish

A note from my extremely kind next-door-neighbor regarding the car I rented over the holidays: Hi,     I don’t know if the police left you a card or case number re: vehicle damage.  My wife and I were just coming … Continue reading

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Tekka center

The main draw of my current apartment in Singapore is that it is ‘across the river’ from Tekka Centre, a housing complex which contains one of my favorite hawker centers.  Here’s the neighborhood view on Google maps: The apartment overlooks … Continue reading

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Mai Po

A few weeks ago, Brooke signed us up for a ‘Mangrove Walk’ at Mai Po nature reserve through the WWF.  It was only the night before that we figured out the scope of what we were in for… a four … Continue reading

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Do tall trams have all the disadvantages of tall ships?

I love how these double-decker trams look, and I loved riding on them. But we’re in typhoon country — how well can they handle in the wind?

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It’s like the book says, ‘grain-based desserts and pizza are the staff of life’

I am fascinated by this chart, and I’m not sure what to say about it except “sounds about right.” At first glance it looks like folks are getting most of their calories from grain and chicken which, environmentally-speaking, is pretty … Continue reading

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Rodeo beach

For a while there, my camera would only take photos like this one.  It seems to’ve fixed itself now. Anyway… There’s a nice site here which lists Bay Area hikes that are transit accessible.  There are lots!  The above garbled … Continue reading

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Things they don’t really have here

– wifi (mostly) – wikipedia (mostly blocked but works in Beijing) – facebook (blocked) – twitter (blocked) – youtube (blocked) – carpet shampooers (this is more of a problem than you would imagine.) – toilet paper in public bathrooms – … Continue reading

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Great Wall, Badaling

My favorite part of the great wall was watching people climb down the steep slope.  Sort of like everyone was doing the Shimmy Shimmy Coco Bop and/or the Smooth Criminal. It’s too hazy for these photos to look like much.

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